Ironing boards generally include a pair of legs pivotally connected together along their length, each of the legs being operatively connected to a top board. Either one or both of the legs are in sliding engagement with the board.
As shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,974,431 to Ribando issued Mar. 14, 1961, ironing boards usually have guide rails or tracks upon which either one or both of the legs glide. The guide tracks are commonly welded to the top board. Problems arise when the top board is made from coil stock. The coil stock has areas of slack material that show high and low spots of differing sizes. The present invention provides a process and top board made by such a process whereby the guide rails are effectively welded to the top board, as the top board does not have the high and low spots on the lines where the guide rails are welded.
Ironing boards generally include a locking mechanism for locking the legs in any one of a plurality of positions between a collapsed position and an open position. The U.S. Pat. No. 2,913,839 to Ashby, issued Nov. 24, 1959, shows a locking mechanism wherein a sliding leg is connected to a guide rod. A spring biases a locking plate against the guide rod to lock the guide rod and attached leg in any one of several positions. The assignee of the present application has manufactured a similar locking mechanism wherein a substantially L-shaped member is connected to the top board and the guide rod extends through an opening in the member. A locking plate is biased by a spring disposed between the locking plate and a vertical wall of the the L-shaped member so that the locking plate engages the guide rod. The present invention provides an alternative structure requiring less assembling steps than the prior art. The structure of the present invention substantially encloses the locking mechanism. Further, the L-shaped bracket of the prior art mechanism tended to bend with use thereby decreasing the pressure on the actuating spring. The release mechanism would force the locking plate against the biasing spring. The spring would then apply force against the vertical wall of the L-shaped member. With time, this vertical wall, having no additional support, tends to bend outwardly thereby decreasing the force of the biasing spring. Eventually, there is insufficient force on the spring to bias the plate to lock the guide rod. Failure of the locking mechanism results. The present invention provides a housing for the locking mechanism which is structurally more rigid than the prior art mechanisms. The present invention further provides a housing which substantially encloses the locking mechanism. This is a preferable construction for reasons of safety as it tends to exclude one's hand from the locking mechanism.
The U.S. Pat. No. 2,313,135 to Fay, issued Mar. 9, 1943, shows a fabricated ironing board having a flange extending downwardly from the top board and then rolled or bent completely around and under the edge of the periphery of the board. The flange is turned or curled into the board. If the board is pressed between forming dies to form the downward flange, the downward flange initially flows outwardly. The inward curl requires complicated additional forming dies to initially curve the outward curl inwardly and then finish the rolling of the flange to prevent exposed sharp edges. The present invention provides a method of manufacturing the fabricated metal board which utilizes the natural outward flow of the metal and forms an outwardly curled edge having no exposed sharp edges.
An additional problem has been presented during shipping and handling of prior art assemblies. During shipping, prior art assemblies have a problem with the slide bar disengaging from the guide rails. This occurs when the board is subjected to a side blow during shipment. Previous slide bar assemblies were supported in two guide tracks in the guide rails. Any force from a blow to the side of the board was essentially dissipated through a single rail. The present invention provides a construction which provides for the force of a blow to be dissipated through both rails, effectively eliminating the disengagement problem.
In general, the present invention provides a ironing board which minimizes cut hazards from bent metal, eliminates forming steps, simplifies the mechanism by reducing the required parts, and prevents disengagement of the slide bar from the guide rails during shipment.